Alternative Timeline Series: Story 1 Passages in Love
by resauthor
Summary: Rita anxiously awaits Chris' return from Boston unsure of how his visit with Jillian will affect their lives, both personally and professionally. Canon and the show runner's story bible have been thrown out the window. This story takes a few plot points and facts from the episode Partners: Part 1 and throws them in a blender. Dare I even say it? Very mild sexual content.


_**Author's Notes**_: This is the first of four stories in the Alternative Timelines Series. It begins with this re-imagining of certain events that took place in the episode, Partners Part 1. This series represents some of my earliest work and was originally posted on fanfic sites under the pen name LCB. To be clear – this involves an alternate timeline and was not written for the Classic Moments archive. Canon and show bible have been thrown out the window. Please forgive the occasional whiplash POV. It was something I didn't give much thought to in the early days and I don't want to change too much in the story now. Pure and simple, this was a passion project, created with the support and encouragement of other Silk fans who, like me, wanted those special C&R moments in each episode to last a little bit longer. Twenty years later, the original thank-you to Wanda and Cathy R. still applies to all four in the series.

**ALTERNATIVE TIMELINES**

_**Story #1: **__**PASSAGES IN LOVE**_

By: resauthor

Anyone watching the stunning brunette would wonder what fascinating work kept her at her desk at this time of night instead of out enjoying all that Palm Beach had to offer the young and beautiful. But if they looked closer, they would notice the frustrated look on her face and the determined glint in her green eyes.

Homicide Detective Rita Lee Lance knew that if she just kept her mind on her work and her butt in the chair she would eventually get through the stack of files on her desk. Her paperwork had doubled because her partner of five years, Detective Chris Lorenzo, had taken a few vacation days to visit his former girlfriend, Jillian Dupree.

Dr. Jillian Dupree had taken a prestigious new job at a Boston hospital and had hoped that Chris would make the move with her so they could stay together. No one had been more surprised than Rita when Chris refused to leave Palm Beach because she knew that his feelings for the doctor were deep. Rita tried to balance her sense of relief with her concerns about Chris' recent behavior. She could tell that his short temper and uncharacteristic bad attitude were a result of unresolved feelings and she had suggested that he visit Jillian in the hopes that he would find a measure of peace with whatever decisions he needed to make.

She was daydreaming again and Rita leaned back, rubbing her neck as she looked up at the overhead clock. It was just past nine. The homicide division of the Palm Beach Police Department was typically quiet at this time of night and it should have been the perfect time to catch up on her work.

"Lance! What are you still doing here?"

Rita glanced up at her boss, Captain Harry Lipschitz, as he emerged from his office. He had a concerned look on his face as he slipped into his jacket and adjusted his collar. Rita knew he was rushing home to be with his wife, Frannie. The two were very devoted to each other and a constant source of amusement for her and her partner.

"I thought you had left, Captain." she commented with a tired smile. She watched the Captain approach her desk and knew he wouldn't leave until she explained why she was working another twelve-hour day. "I'm just trying to get through this paperwork before Chris returns," she added before he could question her. "I talked him into taking this trip, so I thought I'd surprise him by clearing off both our desks." A worried look entered Rita's eyes as her mind drifted over the possible outcome of Chris' trip.

"Have you heard from Chris at all?" Harry asked. He knew Rita well enough to know exactly what was going through her mind.

"No, and I think that's a good thing."

"Come on. . .. can you honestly see those two together? They don't have anything in common." Harry perched himself on the edge of Rita's desk. He noticed the lines of strain around her eyes and his concern for her increased.

"You have no romance left in you, Cap."

"I have plenty of romance left. I'm just a realist, and I don't see it. It could never work because they're just too different. I honestly think it would be the biggest mistake he could make. In fact, I told him so just the other day."

"You didn't!"

"Of course, I did. He asked me my opinion and I just told him the truth." Harry couldn't figure out why this upset Rita. He knew she wanted Chris to stay in Palm Beach. Chris and Rita were closer than most married couples and he was half afraid that they were in love with each other and just didn't know it. Even though he hated the thought of possibly losing the best detective team he had ever had, he knew he would always put their personal happiness first if it came to a choice. He also knew how important it was to find that special person to spend the rest of your life with. After all, he had found his Frannie.

"I can't believe you did that, Captain. I think Chris needs to handle this without any outside influences. You know how confused he's been. I'm hoping he'll find the answers he's looking for in Boston. I also think we need to stand behind him, whatever he decides." Rita lowered her voice and whispered as though trying to convince herself, "I just want him to be happy."

"Me too, Rita. Me too." Harry was about to make another comment but after noticing her downcast expression he decided to let it go for now. "Well, I guess we'll know, one way or the other, in a few days. Just don't work too late. To be honest, you're looking a little worn out these days."

Rita threw the Captain a surprised look. "Thanks a lot, Cap! I'm sure I'd recover much faster if you'd finish off some of these files for me."

Harry straightened up quickly and started making his way towards the door. "Sorry, Rita. I've got to go. You know how Frannie worries about me if I'm home too late." With a teasing smile and a final wave towards Rita, he was gone.

"Yeah, goodnight, Cap." Rita whispered as she tried to focus on the work in front of her.

* * *

The first report Rita came to was regarding a tough case that she and Chris had worked on for over three weeks. They had finally been able to make arrests a few days ago and had later celebrated with pizza and wine at her apartment. In her mind she replayed scenes of her and Chris making ridiculous toasts to each other and dissolving into hysterical laughter. They had each had a little too much wine and when Chris put on her new Motown's Greatest Hits CD, they had danced for what seemed like hours. Exhausted, Chris slept on her couch that night so he wouldn't have to drive home.

After that, everything seemed to go downhill. Chris had awakened in an uncharacteristic bad mood and after a quick cup of coffee, he headed home to change. Rita tried to talk to him later that morning at work, but he snapped at her and everyone else around him.

Finally, she cornered him at the coffee pot. "Chris?"

"Yeah, what's up?" Chris turned around as he filled his cup and noticed Rita staring at him.

"Is there something going on that I don't know about?"

Chris met her eyes and then looked away quickly. Instead of answering right away, he took his coffee cup and made his way back to his desk. Rita knew immediately that this was serious. Chris was usually trying to tell her more that she wanted to know. In fact, she often accused him of sharing too much. He also wasn't the type of person to run from a problem. It was one of the many personality traits that they shared.

After seating herself across from him at her desk, she tried again. "Christopher?"

"What is it Sam?"

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly. Rita tried to hide the concern in her voice. She knew it would only put him on the defensive.

"I'm fine Sam. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

Rita knew right away that this conversation was going nowhere fast and she was afraid she knew why. Chris had made the decision to break up with Jillian when Jillian took the job in Boston, but they had been together for over a year and even though he seemed to take it all in stride, there were obviously some unresolved issues there.

"Chris, I think I know what this is about."

"I don't want to talk about it, Rita." Chris looked down at the papers on his desk, attempting to end the line of questioning.

"Chris, how long have we been partners?" she asked, ignoring his unspoken dismissal.

"Five years, you know that. Exactly where are you going with this?"

"And how long have we been friends?"

"At least that long... so?" He wasn't about to make this any easier for her.

"I think I know you pretty well and I have to tell you that you've been a little difficult to be around lately. I think we need to take a break from each other."

"Exactly what are you saying, Rita?"

She finally had his undivided attention as Chris leaned back in his chair to stare at her.

"I think you should take a couple of vacation days and visit Jillian." She had expected an angry reaction, but it didn't come. She pushed on, "You both ended it so quickly. I think you need to see her again to be sure you made the right decision." Chris sat up straight and opened his mouth to argue, but Rita silenced him, placing a finger to her lips before speaking again.

"Face it, Chris. You aren't happy right now and it's affecting your work and mine. You owe this to yourself and to Jillian. The Captain mentioned teaming me up to work the Randall case with that new detective in vice. I think his name is Michael Price. I'm sure this will keep me busy for a couple days and it's the perfect time for you to get away."

A commotion in the hallway brought Rita's thoughts back to the present. Disgusted with herself for drifting off again, she straightened her desk and prepared to go home. There was no use in staying here if she couldn't accomplish anything.

At least Chris had taken her advice to heart. His flight had left for Boston the following morning. She tried not to think about the effects this trip could have on both their futures. There was always the possibility that Chris would love Boston and decide he couldn't live without Jillian. As much as she wanted him to find happiness, Rita knew that her life could never be the same without him. The bond between them involved friendship, love, loyalty and trust. A rare combination in the world today.

* * *

**"Excuse me sir."** The flight attendant smiled. "Would you care for a pillow?" Her eyes widened with interest as the attractive passenger looked up with the most gorgeous blue eyes she had ever seen. Unfortunately for her, she also noticed a decided lack of interest on his part. In fact, those same blue eyes had a distant look in them that acknowledged her presence, but didn't really see her.

**"No... thank you"** he replied. The voice had startled him, and Chris was surprised to find a flight attendant leaning over the empty aisle seat as she offered him a pillow. He hadn't noticed her approach. Not a good sign when you make your living as a homicide detective. He closed his eyes again and rested his head against the back of the airline seat.

One more hour and he would be back home. It had taken the thought of actually relocating for him to realize just how much Palm Beach had come to mean to him. Palm Beach now meant Rita, the Captain, all of his friends and a job he loved. His first answer to Jillian, an immediate refusal to move, had been the correct one. It had come straight from the heart before his brain had time to confuse him. The tension of the past few weeks was all gone now. All that doubt and indecision that he had struggled with was resolved. Rita was right when she suggested that he needed to see Jillian again. Sometimes she knew him better than he knew himself.

His thoughts drifted back over the last two days. He had called Jillian when he arrived in Boston and they had arranged to meet that night for dinner at her house. After some uncomfortable small talk and a few false starts, they had the long talk that they should have had when Jillian first announced her job offer. Chris was just now beginning to realize that he had been unfair to Jillian when he shut her out of his confusion. In the past, the only person he trusted enough to share his feelings with was Rita. As they stood up from the table after dinner, he walked over to Jillian and placed a hand on her shoulder to get her attention.

"I never meant to hurt you, Jillian."

Jillian looked up at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of love and sadness.

"I know Chris." She tried to smile. "I think I always knew you weren't mine to keep, but I love you. I thought if I tried hard enough it could work out between us. I wanted to believe that you and Rita really were just best friends and partners." Jillian turned away from him now and walked over to sit on the couch. She wrapped her arms around herself and stared at her shoes. There were tears in her eyes, but she blinked them back, refusing to let them fall.

"This isn't about Rita. We are just best friends and partners. Why can't you understand that? We have never been involved the way you and I were. A cop's relationship with his partner is very special. I've tried to explain this to you before." Chris walked over to stand in front of Jillian. "You can't work with someone every day in life and death circumstances and not form a special bond. You have to have complete faith in your partner. You can only get that by knowing your partner as well as you know yourself." Chris realized he was over reacting a little, but this was not the first time they had had this discussion. In the past he had always been able to placate Jillian.

**"Stop it, Chris!** Don't lie to me and don't lie to yourself anymore." Jillian rarely raised her voice to anyone, but she was yelling now as Chris sat down next to her in an attempt to offer comfort. She had spent the last few weeks going over and over their situation in her mind. Confused about what had happened and what she could have done to prevent the break up, she had done a lot of soul searching and had finally come to the conclusion that there wasn't anything she could have done to change the end result.

Their relationship was doomed, never to reach the point of marriage, because of his connection with Rita. And he didn't yet see the truth within himself. It was almost too much for her to bare and she turned to him, "I've seen the way you look at her. I've seen your eyes light up when she enters the room, and I've heard your voice change when you mention her name. Don't you think I've tried to deny it also? If it weren't for Rita, we just might have a chance to make our relationship work. She is so much a part of your life, there just isn't enough left over for anyone else. Somewhere along the line, you fell in love with her!"

**Chris stared at Jillian in shock.** For once, he was at a loss for words and he could tell that Jillian had shocked herself also. The emotional outburst had cost her, and she sat there pale and trembling. He reached out to her, but she shrugged him off.

Chris stayed a little while longer, but Rita's name wasn't brought up again. Instead, they talked about Boston and Jillian's job. Jillian had settled in and was enjoying the challenge of her new position as Head of Surgery. He knew that she would always be special to him. She was still in love with him, but wise enough to know that it could never work between them. In many ways, she had forced him to open his eyes and see clearly for the first time in years. When it was time to head back to his hotel, they were able to say a bittersweet goodbye knowing their relationship had ended with dignity.

He spent the next day sightseeing before his return flight. He needed to do a little soul searching of his own. All through the day, as he visited museums and walked in the park, his thoughts kept returning to the partner he'd left back in Palm Beach.

Even now, as the other passengers slept, he pictured her in his mind. What was she doing at this moment? Was she working late or sound asleep in her apartment?

Suddenly, Chris thought of Michael Price, the new vice detective that Rita was working with for the next few days. What if they were out together now? He didn't trust anyone to watch out for his partner as well as he could and he was convinced that Michael would try to put the moves on Rita. Michael had only been at the PBPD for a short time, but he brought with him a reputation as a real hot shot detective and a smooth ladies man. That could be a distraction and lead to dangerous mistakes. He tried to talk to Rita about this, but all she would say was, "Thanks for the warning, dad."

"I'll have to straighten him out first thing Monday morning," he promised himself. He pictured Rita as she confronted him at the coffee pot just the other morning and a smile lit up his face.

Had he looked up at that moment he would have seen the flight attendant's mouth drop open. She happened to be passing by when his already handsome face was transformed into a thing of beauty by the famous Lorenzo grin and the tender look in his eyes. Her steps faltered as she walked on, secretly jealous of the woman who inspired that look of love.

Unaware of the flight attendant's gaze, Chris' thoughts were only of Rita.

He thought about the morning after their pizza party. He had awoken on the couch to the sight of Rita walking into the room in a long silk robe. She was covered from head to toe, baring only a brief flash of shapely legs as she walked by. Still, too much wine the night before had left him with a fuzzy head and a body that was reacting as though it had forgotten that this beautiful woman was his best friend and buddy.

How could she be so cheerful in the morning? Rita unconsciously hummed a tune from her new CD as she made them coffee. Scenes from the night before had come rushing back into Chris' head. Memories of dancing close and not wanting to let go. What was wrong with him? "Get control of yourself Lorenzo," he had whispered at the time. One more glance at Rita as she reached up for the coffee cups had Chris admiring the way her robe outlined her shapely backside. As if his life were in danger, Chris jumped up and rushed to the bathroom to get dressed and splash cold water on his overheated body.

Ten minutes later, he was back in control but grouchy and confused. As they sat down for coffee, he found himself thinking about how beautiful she looked first thing in the morning. He caught himself leaning closer to inhale her fresh scent. It was at this point that he started getting disgusted with himself, and quickly finished his coffee. He sensed Rita's confusion, but his panic won out over his concern for her feelings. After an abrupt goodbye he had left to go home and change.

"I've got a lot of explaining to do," Chris whispered to himself. "Be patient with me, Sam. I think it's time I started to shake things up a bit." Chris gathered his belongings as the airliner began its descent.

* * *

**It was 9:00 a.m. on Monday morning** and Rita glanced up at the clock for what seemed like the hundredth time. Where was Chris? She hadn't heard from him since the previous Thursday when she had driven him to the airport. The suspense was killing her. She had started to phone his apartment a dozen times over the weekend, only to stop herself before the first ring. He would have called her if he had returned home early, wouldn't he? Just the thought of Chris in Boston, with Jillian, for four whole days sent a shiver down her spine. Why hadn't he taken the time to call and let her know what was going on?

"Hey Rita, you ready to roll out of here?" Michael Price approached her desk with a questioning look in his eyes. "You look like you're in a daze," he teased.

Rita glanced up in surprise and managed a small smile. "Oh, Michael. I'm sorry, I didn't notice you walk in. I haven't had my coffee yet this morning."

"No sweat, but we can get you a cup on the road if you're ready. I think if we can get statements from these last two witnesses, we can wrap up the Randall case today or tomorrow."

"No problem." Rita grabbed her purse, stood up, and followed Michael out the swinging doors. As they walked through the hallway, they noticed Chris approaching them. Not many men could get away with wearing an orange jacket, a brown turtleneck, and purple pants, but on Chris it all came together to look great. His natural style and elegance constantly amazed her.

"Chris! You're back." Rita's face lit up with a smile. "We're just on our way out, but I'll talk to you tonight, won't I?"

"Of course. How about dinner at your place?"

Chris had draped on arm around her and she felt his usual affectionate squeeze.

"My place?" Rita gave him a playful punch to the stomach. "You're the one that's been on vacation and you want me to cook? I don't think so!"

"Okay, okay, Sam. I'll bring a pizza." Chris suddenly remembered that they weren't alone. He stepped back from Rita before asking, "How about it, Price? Want to join us for pizza tonight?"

**Michael smiled.** He hadn't been a detective for the last ten years without gaining a few intuitive skills. Chris was forcing himself to be polite, probably praying the invitation would be declined. He had heard stories about the legendary homicide team of Lance and Lorenzo from the day he arrived at the PBPD, and it was obvious after a few short days of working with Rita that their reputation was well deserved. He also knew that they were reputed to have an almost psychic connection between them. It wasn't uncommon to be in a conversation with the two of them and suddenly notice that they were finishing each other's sentences without either of them being aware of it. And even though it was an accepted fact that they were best friends both on and off the job, he had never heard even a suspicion of any romance between them. Regardless, right now his intuition and his curiosity were working overtime as he noticed Chris and Rita looking at him with a touch of anxiety.

"Thanks for the offer, Chris, but I'll have to take a rain check. I've got a date." Michael couldn't stop a laugh from slipping out as he watched Chris and Rita exhale in relief.

"What?" the partners questioned in unison.

"Nothing. Really, Rita, we'd better head out or we're going to miss our first interview." Michael turned and continued down the hallway allowing Rita a minute alone with Chris.

Rita watched him walk away and then turned back to Chris. "I wonder what that was all about?" She tucked a stray lock of hair back behind her ear, an unconscious, nervous habit.

**Chris smiled down at her**, taking in the beauty of green eyes that would rival any emerald. His recent acknowledgement of the depth of his feelings for her made him enjoy every moment between them in a new way.

"Don't worry about it, Sam. I always thought he was a little strange. I know you have to get going, but I'll see you about seven tonight. Okay?" Chris reached out to touch her arm one last time.

**"Sounds great."** Rita's eyes were drawn to his hand. Was he trying to prepare her for bad news? She looked back up to his face, but his eyes gave her no clues. His deep blue gaze was searching hers intently, as if trying to see into her soul. There was an air of calmness and control about him that made her extremely nervous. She forced herself to shake off her worries, and with a last smile at Chris she hurried to follow Michael down the hall.

**Chris smiled back** at her retreating figure, then shrugged his shoulders, and prepared himself to face a desk piled high with paperwork. Entering through the swinging doors, he was just in time to see the Captain standing in the doorway to his office with his hands on his hips. Captain Lipschitz watched him enter with raised eyebrows.

"Lorenzo! Where the hell have you been!"

"Hey, Cap." Chris continued walking past his own desk and followed the Captain into his office.

"Have a seat, Lorenzo." the Captain waved a hand toward two chairs that he and Rita were very familiar with. "Did you happen to talk to your partner this morning yet?"

"Yeah, I just ran into her and Price in the hallway. What's up?"

"Well, do you want to tell me why you didn't bother to call her when you've been back in town for the last two days? Do you have any idea how worried she's been about you?"

The Captain leaned forward across his desk, aiming his piercing stare directly at him. Chris felt like he was being taken to task by the high school principal.

"Come on, Cap...give me a break!" he begged as he squirmed in his seat under the Captain's scrutiny.

"Give you a break? I gave you a break when I let you take two vacation days at the last minute. You left with a desk full of work and a partner that has been working twelve-hour days because she's trying not to worry about you." Harry grew even more perturbed by the sudden smile on Chris' face. "I don't think this is funny, Lorenzo. Do you want to explain yourself?"

"I'm sorry, Cap. Really, I am. I didn't mean to worry either one of you." The smile left his face as he stared down at his hands. He continued quietly, "When I left here Thursday, I admit I wasn't in a very good mood, but I think talking to Jillian helped." The Lorenzo smile flashed brilliantly again, "Everything is okay now, Cap. Don't worry."

"That's it?" the Captain sputtered. "That's the big explanation? Come on, Lorenzo, you can do better than that. If everything is okay, why didn't you call Rita and let her know? It's not like you to let her worry. I thought you were better friends than that." Suddenly, Harry had a flash of insight, "Are you trying to avoid talking to her? Didn't you hear anything I said to you the other day? You can't seriously be thinking of following Jillian to Boston." Harry was waving a finger at Chris now, "You'd be a fool to give up everything you have here to become Mr. Doctor Jillian."

"I agree with you."

"You do?" Surprised, Harry relaxed and settled back in his chair as he stared at Chris. "Then please explain to me how, in good conscience, you could let Rita worry all weekend about this."

"Look, Captain. I wasn't ready to talk to anyone yet. I needed a few days alone to straighten everything out in my mind." Chris leaned forward, hands clasped, his elbows propped on his knees to stress his point. "While I was in Boston, Jillian and I had a real heart to heart talk and I needed some time alone to come to terms with everything we discussed." Relaxing again, Chris leaned back and continued, "But... tonight, I'm going over to Rita's with pizza in hand and we'll have a chance to talk."

"Okay, Chris. That I can understand, but let me make this real clear to you. For two days last week I watched Rita worry herself over this business with you and Jillian, and I don't like it. Get your personal life in order and get back to work. I need you two working as a team, no complications. Got it?"

"I hear ya, Cap" Chris answered as he stood up to leave. "I'll start with the stack of files on my desk right now." With a hand on the door knob he turned to look back at the Captain. "By the way, Cap, how did you know I was back in town by Saturday?"

Without bothering to look up from the paperwork he was filling out, the Captain answered him promptly. "One of these days Lorenzo you're going to realize that I know everything that goes on around here."

"Everything?"

"EVERYTHING."

"Now that's an interesting thought, Captain."

**Something about Chris' tone** of voice made Harry look up quickly, but all he saw was the back of Chris' head as he walked towards his desk. Uh oh. He was getting that strange feeling in his gut again. Harry leaned back in his chair once more and rubbed his stomach for a minute as he thought about the conversation they had just finished.

"Nah! It must be the prune juice I drank for breakfast this morning." Everything would go back to normal now. Chris would stay, Rita would quit worrying about him and the best homicide team he'd ever had would go back to solving 95% of their cases. Right?

* * *

**Chris reached across** the table for another napkin. All throughout dinner, he hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of Rita. He was fascinated by the movement of her hands as she talked and ate. And her lips - each time she sipped her drink or bit into her slice of pizza, he held his breath. He struggled to maintain focus on their conversation, but his gaze kept wandering over her features. Just watching her made his heart swell. The feelings he had pushed down and denied for so long could no longer be ignored.

"Michael thinks we have enough to go to the DA tomorrow on the Randall case. What do you think?" Rita looked up from her plate when Chris failed to answer her. Chris, did you hear me?"

Chris was startled out of his thoughts when he met Rita's direct gaze. Had he really sat in this chair so many times over the last five years without acknowledging the feelings that now consumed his every thought? He wanted to reach over and pull her close, yet at the same time he wanted to sit back and admire her for hours. His body felt like it was at war with itself.

Rita smiled. "Chris?" she tried to get his attention again.

"Sorry, Sammy. What was the question?" He wondered what Rita would do if she could read his thoughts at this moment. He'd better slow down or he was going to make a mess of this. This was too important to rush and he had to be sure Rita was ready. A slow approach was definitely the way to proceed.

"Never mind, Chris. Why don't we clean this up and go relax in the living room?" Rita got up and picked up both of their dishes. "Put the leftovers in the fridge and I'll start the coffee."

"Right, Sam." Chris finished clearing the table and then headed over to the stereo. He skipped over classical and soft rock selections before choosing one of his jazz favorites. Settling on the couch, he leaned back and closed his eyes.

The music hummed through his veins and calmed him. He felt Rita sit down next to him on the couch.

"Turn around, Sam. Let me get your shoulders." Rita put a hand on his shoulder and guided him around until his back was towards her.

With head bent forward, his eyes never opened as her strong fingers kneaded the tense muscles.

"Is there a reason why we haven't talked about Boston yet?" she asked hesitantly. "I was a little worried when I didn't hear from you over the weekend."

"That feels so good..." His voice was barely a whisper. He forced himself to focus. His voice was stronger as he added, "I'm sorry I worried you. My only excuse is that I know I've come to a crossroads in my life and I needed to spend some serious time thinking about where to go from here. I just wasn't ready to talk about it yet. But you and I both know that these decisions affect you too and I'm sorry I acted so selfishly. Believe me I heard about it from the Captain this morning."

"The Captain? What did he say?" Rita sounded confused.

"Just that it wasn't fair of me to take off the way I did and then leave you to worry about me all weekend." He paused for a moment to savor the feel of Rita's hands on his shoulders. "To be honest, I agree with him. You're my best friend, Sam, and no matter what happens, I'd never do anything to ruin that."

Chris pulled away from Rita, and turned around taking both of her hands in his. He knew he probably looked nervous as he gazed intently into her eyes. He was nervous. "You know how much you've always meant to me, don't you, Rita?"

**Oh my god, she thought**, he's preparing me for bad news. I've lost him. Rita suddenly felt bone tired, unable to face what she thought was coming. She pulled her hands out of Chris' grasp and stood up, face turned away from him. "I think the coffee is ready, Chris. I'd better go check." She walked away but couldn't keep her thoughts from racing. What was she going to do? She had lost every other important person in her life and had somehow found the will to keep going. How could she ever get over losing Chris? She couldn't do this right now.

Chris stared at her retreating figure with confusion. He frowned at the unexpected and sudden change of mood. "Everything okay in there Rita?"

Rita heard the concern in his voice and forced herself to take a couple of deep breaths. The coffee was ready but she remained in the middle of the kitchen, unable to move. She knew she had to calm down, to just listen to what he had to say. "You can get through this," she whispered to herself. She wanted him to be happy.

"Everything's fine, Chris. I'll be right out." she finally called back.

Life hadn't always been kind to Rita. Her mother had died when she was born and her father had committed suicide after a multi-million dollar investment deal went sour. At the tender age of seven, she had been the one to find her father's body in the bath tub. Luckily, she had been placed with loving foster parents that treated her as if she were their own. They taught her, by example, the importance of personal integrity and inner strength. But even they were gone now, killed in an automobile accident a few years before she met Chris. All those losses could have left her angry and bitter, but she learned to draw on that pool of inner strength instead. She learned to just keep going. It was that same inner strength that she needed at a time like this. After one final calming breath, Rita reached into the cupboard for the coffee mugs.

"What's going on in there Sam?" Before the words were completely out of his mouth, Chris heard Rita cry out and the sound of a ceramic mug shattering on the floor. He was off the couch and running toward the kitchen within seconds.

He entered the room and found Rita holding her hand over the sink, with a dish towel pressed against her open palm. "Rita! Let me see your hand. What happened?" He cradled the back of her hand in one of his and slowly removed the towel.

She tried to pull away. "It's no big deal, Chris, I'm fine." But he wouldn't release her hand from his grip so she turned her face away from him. How humiliating to be caught in the middle of an emotional melt down. "Go away, Chris, it's nothing."

With the towel removed, Chris could see that the cut on her palm wasn't very deep. He insisted on cleaning the small wound and applying the band aid she pulled out of a nearby drawer. Without thinking, he raised her hand to his lips and kissed it when he was done.

Rita felt a blush warm her cheeks and she stammered, "What was that for?"

**Chris smiled directly into her eyes. **"Grandma Rose always said a kiss made everything better." Right now, he thought his grandmother might have been the wisest woman that had ever walked the earth. Before Rita could protest, he pulled her hand towards him and caught her body as it fell against his. It felt so right. He looked down into her eyes with a burning intensity.

"Chris?" She whispered, barely able to find her voice. "I don't think we should be doing this."

"Tell me about it," he ground out hoarsely, and then kissed her with rough, urgent passion. Instead of struggling against him, she wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him even closer. The simple gesture sent a thrill right through him, and he deepened the kiss even further. A distant memory of their soul kiss at the Institute for Cosmic Connection passed through Chris' mind, but was quickly discarded. This was different. They weren't role playing this time.

"Rita," he muttered, reluctantly withdrawing his mouth from hers. His couldn't resist reaching up to tuck that loose strand of hair back behind her left ear. The same hand continued downward and caressed her cheek. His thumb passed over swollen lips, still moist from their kiss. "Rita, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He lowered his arms and prepared to step back out of their embrace.

**"Chris? Please..."** Rita, herself, wasn't sure what she was asking as she removed her hands from his back, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him close again. Her fingers seemed to have a mind of their own as they wove themselves through his hair. It didn't take much effort to convince Chris to meet her half way in another searing kiss. If this was to be the first and last true intimate moment they would ever have, she thought to herself, I want him to remember it forever. She put everything that was in her heart and soul into the kiss

Chris' arms were holding her tight once again. Her petite 5'5" frame fit just perfectly up against his lean muscular body. It was like coming home after a long journey. Parfait, as Chris would say. His hands slid under her wool sweater and searched for her bra strap. As it unsnapped, she felt him groan into her mouth. One hand on her back kept her pressed closely to him, while the other hand glided around her ribs to touch the sides of her breast.

Chris maneuvered their bodies around so Rita's back was to the counter. With a quick move, he lifted her up and sat her on the counter top. He broke off the kiss so he could remove her sweater and bra before quickly take one budding nipple into his mouth. Rita's hands caressed his head. She was deep in sensory overload and could only lean back against the cupboard with her eyes closed as sensation after sensation assailed her.

When she couldn't take it any longer, she pulled his lips back up to hers. "Chris, help me." she begged in a husky whisper. Her hands frantically tried to remove his turtleneck. Soon, his bare skin was pressed up against her own. Her hands roamed all over his chest and shoulders, making memories to last a lifetime. Everything but the two of them ceased to exist as her lips followed her hands, trailing kisses across his chest. His body was a combination of hard muscular planes and skin as soft as satin. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get close enough.

**As Rita continued to explore his overheated body,** Chris sank both hands into her hair. He'd been fascinated and aroused by the silky chestnut waves from the first time he'd seen her. He was finally doing what he'd secretly wanted to do for years. He kissed the top of her head and inhaled the slight fresh scent of her shampoo. Rita's hands were flattened against his lower stomach now and he groaned in agony as feelings of guilt resurfaced through the sexual haze. He had to be sure of her feelings before this went any further and he knew he'd pushed her too quickly tonight. The stress of the last few days had taken its toll and he wasn't prepared to give up a promising future together for immediate sexual gratification.

Easier said than done. As Chris took a step back, Rita wound her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck. He quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and they remained locked in a passionate kiss as Chris carried her out of the kitchen and over to the couch. In the background, a saxophone continued to play a hypnotic melody and it was another fifteen minutes before Chris regained his senses. He couldn't even remember how he ended up lying on the couch with Rita on top of him.

"Rita?" he whispered, not wanting to stop her, but forcing himself to.

Rita moaned, but continued kissing his neck.

Chris placed a hand on either side of her face and forced her to look at him. "Rita, we have to stop."

**Rita looked down at him in confusion** until the reality of their position hit her. "Oh my god, Chris...what are we doing?" Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and guilt as she pushed herself off of his chest and hurried to the kitchen to retrieve her clothing. Keeping her back to the living room she quickly redressed herself and knelt down to start picking up the broken pieces of the coffee mug. She heard Chris walk into the room but kept her head turned away as she heard him pull the turtleneck over his head.

"Leave that for later, Sam. We need to talk." He was right behind her now.

"Chris," she began, unable to face him yet, but he quickly interrupted her.

"Look at me, Rita." Chris reached down to take hold of her shoulders and guide her to a standing position. Turning her around to face him, he gently forced her chin up with his hand so he could see into her eyes. "We need to talk now," he insisted.

"I know, Chris. Look, why don't just give me a minute. Go back in the living and I'll be right there." Her eyes begged him to understand. She needed a minute alone.

He searched her expression for some clue as to what she was thinking before agreeing to her request. "Okay," he reluctantly agreed, "but I'm not going anywhere until we talk about this." He left the room.

Walking over to lean against the counter top, Rita took a few deep breaths. Squaring her shoulders to face the inevitable, she knew she had to go back to the living room and confront her partner. There were only two ways to handle this situation and her need to regain control forced her to make a quick decision. One choice would be to act as though nothing had happened. Looking back at their actions, on this very same counter during the last half hour, that wasn't a likely solution. The other choice would be to act as if it were no big deal. That could be difficult, but not impossible. It seemed the only way.

Before proceeding, Rita took a moment to prepare the coffee tray. The familiar ritual calmed her, and by the time she entered the living room she almost felt like her old self.

"Chris, have a seat. The coffee is ready." After placing the tray on the coffee table, Rita sat on the couch and poured out two mugs.

Chris stopped pacing and sat himself next to Rita, watching her fidget with the cream and sugar.

"I don't want coffee, Rita, I want you to sit still and talk to me." He waved away the mug she was trying to give him. "Would you please stop." He took her mug out of her hand and placed it next to his on the table before taking hold of both her hands.

"Rita, we've been best friends for a long time now and we've always been able to talk about everything. Please don't shut me out."

Rita tried to act nonchalant. "I'm not trying to shut you out, Chris, but I can tell that you're going to make too big a deal out of this. We got a little carried away. It's been an emotional time for you. You just returned from a long trip. You're exhausted..."

**"Don't you dare dismiss this so easily**. I would never use you like that. You mean too much to me." He was angry now, and hurt. How could he tell her he loved her when, obviously, Rita was not ready to face any deeper feelings yet.

"Maybe it would be better if I left," he offered, rising from the couch. "We can talk about this tomorrow... or whenever you're ready to deal with it." He heard the sarcasm seep into his voice and he knew he had to get out of there before he said something he might regret.

As he walked to the front door, he couldn't help thinking that the entire evening was deteriorating into a first-class disaster. Well, maybe not the entire evening. He still had the taste of her on his lips and his fingertips tingled with the memory of her velvety skin.

**"Chris," Rita called out** in desperation, wanting him to stay, yet unable to say the words that would keep him there. She was so confused. She had promised herself that she wouldn't try to influence his decisions regarding Jillian, and yet, she had just practically jumped the poor guy. What was happening to her infamous self-control? How could she begin to explain her actions to Chris when she didn't understand them herself? Rita had always lived her life within her own personal set of boundaries and guidelines but in this situation, there was no easy answer. It was better to let him go home now. Maybe then she could start to think clearly and regain some balance in a world that was quickly spinning out of her control.

**Chris had his hand on the door knob** as he turned back to see her still sitting on the couch. He waited for her to continue speaking, but she continued to watch him with a wide-eyed, solemn expression. He knew that look. He'd seen it before. Whenever life knocked her down or dealt her a blow that she wasn't sure she could handle, Rita retreated into herself while putting up a controlled facade to show the world. Right now, she held herself as regal as a queen and this was his first clue that she was not as unaffected as she pretended to be. What a magnificent woman. Definitely a woman worth waiting for. There was hope.

Deciding to let Rita play this her way for now, he couldn't resist one parting shot as he walked out the front door. "By the way, Sam, just in case you're interested, I did come to one major conclusion over the past few days." He paused just long enough to make sure he had her full attention.

Rita continued to stare, afraid of what she would hear next, but too physically and emotionally spent to run from it anymore.

Chris smiled innocently as he continued, "It really is over between Jillian and me. I'm not ready to leave Palm Beach yet, sooooo... it looks like you're stuck with me. Don't be late for work tomorrow." Felt only natural to add an enthusiastic, "See Ya!"

Chris closed the door quickly, before he was tempted to go back in and finish what they had started tonight. With any other woman he probably would have. He thought he heard a gasping sound from inside, but he couldn't be sure. He walked briskly to his car, hoping the cool breeze would calm his heavily aroused body. The humor of the situation suddenly struck him and he laughed out loud at himself. "If this is what it feels like to shake things up, Sam, I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!"

**END Of**

**Story 1: Passages in Love**

_To be continued soon in_

Story 2: Passages in Truth


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